Seoul Korean BBQ in Banpo, full at opening with roomy tables: Ugojip

Where is Ugojip in Banpo?

Ugojip is a beef BBQ restaurant in the basement of Banpo Shopping Town Building 5, so it's easy to reach from Express Bus Terminal Station, and it's only 10 minutes from Banpo Hangang Park!! I finally made it to Ugojip, famous as a Banpo beef spot and an Express Bus Terminal favorite!! It's known as a Banpo local favorite, and you know Banpo Shopping Town has a surprising number of great restaurants, right!??

Into a totally nostalgic underground shopping arcade we go!! Head down to the basement of Banpo Shopping Town and you'll spot Ugojip without much trouble. (There's an elevator too.)

Is there a wait at Ugojip, even at opening time?

Even right at opening, Ugojip's tables fill up fast. It seems to be one of those local favorites with a wait. There were several chairs set out in front of the restaurant!! We went right at opening on purpose, and the tables still filled up in no time.

Is Ugojip roomy enough for group dinners and wedding invitation meetups?

Ugojip has plenty of space, enough that it's a good place in Banpo for a wedding invitation get-together.

What surprised me most was the table size. BBQ restaurant tables are usually small, so even a family of four feels cramped (sob), and the side dish bowls crowd everything. But the tables at Ugojip are way roomier than they look in the photos. I think a group could easily fit comfortably!! Not cramped at all, which made this Express Bus Terminal spot even better!

The owner welcomed us kindly, which made it even nicer.

Ugojip couple set: price and what's included

The Ugojip couple set (400g) is ₩49,000 and comes with woosamgyeop (beef brisket), tosisal (beef chuck flap), galbisal (beef rib meat) and brisket doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). There were two of us, so we ordered the couple set (400g) for ₩49,000 plus two bowls of rice.

Couple set: woosamgyeop, tosisal, galbisal, brisket doenjang jjigae

The menu is organized into sets, so choosing was easy. Besides the couple set there's also a signature set (600g); with three or more people, I think adding à la carte items on top would be great!! For family gatherings in Banpo, this is where I'm going!

What side dishes come with BBQ at Ugojip?

The side dishes at Ugojip were scallion salad, salad, young radish kimchi, myeongi namul (pickled wild garlic leaves), salt and wasabi, just what you need, which I liked even more. You know a good restaurant has tasty sides too, right (sob)?

They even gave us a special dipping sauce for the meat, a chili soy sauce(?), so we could enjoy the beef in lots of different ways.

Is the 400g couple set enough for two people?

The Ugojip couple set at 400g was honestly just the right amount for two. I thought it might not be enough and was going to order more. But it was truly just right!! If anything, it felt cheap.

The color on that tosisal... !!!! Great beefy aroma and low fat, a special cut that you barely get any of! The galbisal is definitely rich and nutty! The woosamgyeop is tasty, but I also love that it cooks quickly haha.

It came as one platter with zucchini, mushrooms and onions, totally my taste. The meat quality clearly looked great, so I was super excited even before grilling,,

Woosamgyeop, tosisal and galbisal: how was each cut?

Woosamgyeop with the soy dipping sauce

At Ugojip we grilled the woosamgyeop first. Rich beef fat rendered out and it turned glossy and shiny.. dipped in the soy sauce, the savory depth was amazing!

Tosisal wrapped in myeongi namul

Then we grilled the tosisal, and I really recommend Ugojip's tosisal! It melts in your mouth…

Eating the tosisal together with myeongi namul is really… I'm going to add this to my must-return list soon. Express Bus Terminal favorite, confirmed!

Galbisal, rich and nutty

The galbisal was rich and savory with great depth too! Beef is basically never bad, but it went so well with the side dishes, and the quality was so good that it never felt greasy.

It's tasty with scallion salad, and tasty with just a dab of salt too, Ugojip, the Banpo beef spot!!

How is the brisket doenjang jjigae at Ugojip?

The brisket doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew) included in the Ugojip couple set was the highlight of the day! Deep, rich and hearty, loaded with brisket, tofu and zucchini. A total rice thief (sob).

I'd already emptied my rice bowl and the brisket just kept coming. A seriously generous brisket stew.. and this is a basic freebie?! I'm having my Express Bus Terminal family gathering here.. it really seems like a local beef favorite. Come to Ugojip, the Seoul Banpo go-to!!